ROCKINGHAM — All five municipalities in the county will be getting a boost to their recreation budgets.
The Richmond County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to increase the county’s contributions by 35 percent across the board at a budget work session early Tuesday afternoon.
The conversation was started by Commissioner Ben Moss, who suggested that the county “beef up” the contribution to the city of Rockingham higher than the budgeted amount of $47,250.
Moss made the suggestion because he said there are so many kids from other parts of the county participating in the city’s programs.
“The one that’s doing the most needs the most,” he said.
The original proposed budget left numbers the same as they had been the past several years, giving Hamlet $31,500, Hoffman $5,000, Dobbins Heights $4,200 and Ellerbe $4,000.
Commissioner Thad Ussery spoke up and said, “If you up one, you’ll be obligated to up the others,” though he agreed that Rockingham does a lot.
“I feel that Rockingham has taken a lot of our responsibility in recreation,” Moss said, recommending a total of $100,000 be given to the city if feasible.
Commissioner Herbie Long agreed with Ussery that if the county gave more to one municipality, it would have to give more to the others.
“Why would you increase those if they’re not running the programs or using the money?” Moss asked after the discussion turned to what Hamlet and the three small towns do with what they do get.
He then called for increasing the amounts for Rockingham, Hamlet and Ellerbe by 35 percent, with the option to give more to Dobbins Heights and Hoffman if they could show why the extra funding was needed.
Commissioner Jimmy Capps then suggested raising all five contributions by 35 percent, which Ussery and Don Bryant agreed to.
When the vote was held, all commissioners supported the increase.
County Manager Rick Sago also told the board that he was amending the contribution toward mental health services.
In the past, the county has given Sandhills Center $147,000 per year. But this year’s original allotment was only $132,000, a $15,000 decrease.
In a letter dated March 11, CEO Victoria Whitt told Sago that the center would not be requesting an increase and hasn’t sought one for the past 11 years.
Whitt said that county funding “is critical to sustaining the current level of crisis/psychiatric services for the consumers and families in Richmond County. Any reduction in that funding will result in a reduction in the services offered locally.”
Sandhills Center manages mental health, intellectual and developmental disabilities and substance abuse services in Richmond, Anson, Guilford, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore and Randolph counties.
Sago said he increased the county’s contribution to the center to $142,500.
Although he wasn’t there to ask for more money, Sheriff James E. Clemmons Jr. thanked to the board for the sheriff’s office budget, which includes a new security fence.
Clemmons said the fence would go behind the jail and be used to secure the grounds in the event of an emergency evacuation.
“Right now, if we had to evacuate the jail, it would be in open air,” he said, “with no secured area.”
There is no time frame on the project’s completion, but the sheriff said the board has “been working diligently to take care of it.”
The changes made during the work session brought the county’s budget to $50, 037,628, which was approved a few hours later at the board’s regular meeting.
Following a closed session at the end of the meeting, the board voted to authorize the county’s attorney to approve a settlement with terms discussed during the closed session.
Chairman Kenneth Robinette said he couldn’t comment on the settlement.
The board also voted to:
• designate Commissioner Bryant as a voting delegate to represent the county at the National Association of Counties 2105 Annual Conference;
• appoint Joe Kindley to replace Bert Unger on the Richmond Community College Board of Trustees;
• reappoint Gerald Witherspoon to a new three-year term and move Tim Hayden into a voting member seat on the Richmond County Planning and Zoning Board of Adjustment;
• reappoint Dr. Michael White to a new three-year term, appoint Ann Nantz to replace John Hutchinson and Virgina Layton to replace Amy Berry on the Richmond County Public Library System Board of Trustees;
• reappoint Arvind Maheshwari as hotel industry representative and John Garner as county commission representative to new two-year terms with the Richmond County Tourism Development Authority;
• reappoint Alice Warrick to a new two-year term on the Richmond County Jury Commission;
• reappoint Caroline Thomas Goodwin to a new three-year term as the county’s extraterritorial representative on the Rockingham Board of Adjustment and Appeals;
• reappoint Amery Griffin, Dr. Larry Weatherly, Charlotte McNeil, Tommy Cook, the Rev. Dena White, Cheryl Speight, Bunny Critcher and Glenn Alexander to the Richmond County Child Fatality Prevention Team.
Reach reporter William R. Toler at 910-817-2675 and follow him on Twitter @William_r_Toler.